Apparatus for making improved reproductions of indicia



sept. 24, 1963 J. H. WALLY, JR 3,104,585

` APPARATUSVFOR MAKING IMPROVED REPRODUCTIONS 0F INDICIA Original Filed Aug. 22, 1955 anuonoebv-0 United States Patentv O 3,104,585 APPARATUS FR MAKING IMPRVED REPRODUCTINS F INDICA Joseph H. Wally, lr., Mission Hills, Kans., assigner to i claim. (o1. ss-24) This invention is directed to apparatus useful for improving reproductions of various indicia. This application is a division of my application Seria-l No. 529,624, tiled August 22, 1955, now abandoned, entitled Process and Apparatus for Making Improved Reproductions of Indicia.

Improved reproductions of indicia may be made from indicia which are originally either good or bad, since my apparatus serve to improve the opaci-ty of the indicia regardless of their original opacity. The greatest usefulness of my apparatus is, of course, where the original opacity of the indicia, such as lines, lettering, etc., is poor.

Those who are engaged in making inexpensive copies of indicia, for example, blueprints, are constantly confronted With demands for clear, easi-ly read reproductions to be made either from originals which are not transparent (and thus not blue-printable directly), or from originals which are not themselves the same size as the desired copies, or from tracings which have weak pencil lines or are dirty and do not readily lend themselves -to good contact duplicates. With the usual techniques the latter cannot `be used to make good copies without a substan-tial amount of art work or the use of expensive photographic material and the consumption of much time. While my apparatus offers economies in the reproduction of all types of originals, it has particular advantage in dea-ling with originals which are diicult or impossible to reproduce with the usual procedures.

The copyist is constantly confronted with the problem of making the lines of line-copy black, crisp and clear While keeping the background (or blank areas) clean and devoid of mottle. In dealing with originals which have weak indicia, the copyist often has dirt and smudge to eliminate Where erasures have been made from around the edges of the tracing or where other discoloration has been involuntarily introduced. In making copies, a long exposure of the sensitized material being used is normally necessary in order to eliminate the undesired mottling, dirt, etc., and the long exposure is the very thing which burns out and loses the weak lines. As a result, the exposure must be a compromise, since, if the weak lines are retained, the background usually is mottled or appears dirty. If the copyist uses a long exposure time to burn out the background so that it appears clean, Ithen the weak lines drop out and the medium-strength lines become intermittent Where they tend to become weak in the original, and the strong lines are really the only ones that are retained rather well. With the exception of the process and apparatus set forth in my copending application Serial No. 378,075, tiled September 2, 1953, now abandoned, no previous technique of which I am aware has really coped with this problem, the usual approach being simply to add contrast, thus adding strength to the smudge as Well as tothe lines.

With the present apparatus, the operator is enabled to treat Weak originals as continuous tone originals, which they really are, so that no lines are actually lost. Instead,

they are retained in their respective relative values, but in the printing of the new transparency, the line strength is actually increased a substantial amount while only a single thickness of base material is employed. The relative light-stopping characteristics of the lines increase sharply, however weak those lines might be over either the mottling effect of the base material or the effect of the photographically impressed background of the original, and this is done without any unnatural attempt to whiten or clear the background `by merely increasing the contrast.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of my invention to add to the reprint quality of a given original by approaching absolute line opacity, whether the opacity of the original was good, or whether it was poor due to faulty drawing, wear, or other reason. In the accomplishment of this object, I provide an apparatus to produce on a translucent sheet, which is light sensitive on yboth sides, images of the original indicia in congruent relationship, on both sides of said sheet with each line backing itself up precisely. One side is thus right-reading or right-side-up and the other is reverse-reading. In a preferred practice of my invention, this light sensitive sheet is maintained in contact at one side with a light reflecting surface during the exposure of said sheet to an image. The image is transmitted from the opposite side `of said sheet, to the nearest light sensitive surface on the sheet and through said sheet to the other light sensitive surface and to said light reecting surface whereby light reflected from said surface quickly exposes the second mentioned light sensitive surface of the sheet.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the aforementioned purpose in a form which is readily usable with existing types of camera equipment. As a result, photoprint and blueprint shops will be able to provide long-needed services for customers-for example, making satisfactory prints from original tracings which have poor line opacity.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide apparatus for the purpose aforesaid which are sufficiently simple to perform and manipulate that it is not necessary to have a highly skilled operator. By my improvements, documents having indicia on them may vbe reproduced in the same or different size with opacity which is superior to the original at a reasonable cost and by relatively unskilled operators Within a short period of time. Also the apparatus may be used in processes not employing the light reflecting technique and double-coated sensitized sheet.

Other objects, uses and advantages of the invention will become apparent, or be obvious, from a consideration of the following description, when taken with the appended drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View, diagrammatic in nature, of a photographic device with which the sheet holding apparatus comprising my invention is useful, the sheet holding apparatus being illustrated as supported in a Vertical plane;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the sheet holding apparatus comprising my invention, the transparent cover being shown rolled down to hold the sheet material against the supporting surface of said apparatus in conjunction with the associated air evacuating means; and f FIGURE 3 illustrates a modified form of the sheet holding apparatus, its supporting surface being arranged in a horizontal plane and the cover sheet being illustrated in its rolled form and located adjacent its secured margin which permits positioning and removing of the sheet material from the central area of the supporting panel of said holder.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings, the invention is shown utilized with a projector indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 having the usual lens carrying bellows l2 and a lm holder 14. The projector has a base portion I6 which is slidable along a track Vpressure on itsy outer side.'

- if to guide it accurately along a common base 2i) on which is also supported the base Z2 of the holder or easel, indicated by the reference numeral 24. A track s projector and sheet holder, or easel, for xing them in position at preselected locations.

It is to be understood that sheet holder 24 will be perpendicular to the optical axis of lens 12 and that its center will preferably lie on the axis of said lens.

In the said FIGURES l and 2 sheet holder 24 embodies a rectangular frame 52 is provided with a front panel 54, which is perforated at regular intervals by vertical and horizontal rows of holes 56, and with a solid rear panelV it which has an opening and nipple (not shown) which are connected in a known fashion with a exible air hose 60. Hosev 60 is adapted to be connected with a pump which tends to create a vacuum within frame 52. Hence, any sheet material placed over the holes 56 of Vpanel 54 is held fiat against panel 54 by the action of the suction on the under side of the sheet and by the action of air The structure described so far might be referred to as a vacuum frame structure.

. Over panel 54, but inwardly of its margins, is placeda light reflecting sheet material, such as a sheet of smooth white acetate 62.V This forms a centrally-disposed, uninterrupted smooth, rigid surface area on which sheet material 25 is arranged. Sheet 62 maybe taped orV otherwise secured by one margin (preferably the top) to panel 54 and is drawn. flat against said panel when the suction pump (not shown) is in operation. As illustrated in FIG- URE 2, sheet 62 is of a width and length sufficiently smaller than panel 54 so as to leave exposed at least one row of holes 56 extending thereabout. It will also be understood that sheet holder 24 need not have holes 56 distributed throughout the surface of panel 54. Instead, members 62 could be a sheet'orpanel secured tov the central area of panel 54 by mechanical means, one or more rows of the holes 56 being provided in the surrounding margin only of panel 54. Clipped, as by means 66, or otherwise secured, adjacent the upper edge of frame y52, is a clear flexible acetate sheet 64. Y

Sheet 64 is greater in both horizontal and vertical dimensions than reflecting sheet 62, and so that its margins overlie-the marginal rows of holes 56 which sheet 62 does not overlie. By reason of its being secured by its top marginY and by reason ofits flexibility, sheet 64 of clear acetate may be rolled up to make easy the inserj tion thereunder of sheet material zrpositioned on the reilecting sheet 62. When sheet 64 is then rolled down over sheet 62 with sheet material 25 positioned thereon as well as the marginal surfaces of the panel 54 containing the air passage means or holes 62 while the suction pump is operating, sheets 64, 25 and 62, respectively, will be A held iiat against panel 54 by air pressure.

In referring to the foregoing as a vacuum frame structure it should be readily understood that it is not the usual form of such structure,wsince the usual form Vemploys a rigid glass cover, instead of a exible, rollable I sheet in front of the light sensitive sheet, and employs'a Vhead lli) be supported thereover Vand so that the axis of its lens extends in a vertical plane. Turning therefore to FIGURE V3, a horizontally disposed sheet holder cor- VKnown forms of retaining means may be employed in connection with both the responding generally to sheet holder 24 is illustrated at 24 comprising a rectangular framer52 having a top panel 54 anda bottom panel 58. Holder 24 is supported on a base 22 carried by an upright 2Q which also supports an optical head (notrshown) corresponding to lli) in the FIGURE l embodiment. Centrally of top panel 54 is secured a rectangular sheet or panel 62 by appropriate mechanical means, the exposed margins of panel.

5d containing air passage means or holes 56' which extend in a line aboutv said panel 62. It will be understood that more than one row of such holes 56 may be arranged about the central supporting surface area which panel 62' comprises, if desired. A frameless imperforate rollable sheet 64 of clear, transparent, flexible plastic has one edge clipped by means 66' or is otherwise secured to a margin of top panel 54. Said sheet 64' is rollable into the shape of a roll adjacent its secured edge as illustrated at A in order to permit positioning sheet material on supporting panel 62 and removing the same therefrom. Said roll is rollable across the panel surface from said position Aras indicated at A and A to cover the top panel surface as indicated at B. As in the first-discussed embodiment (FIGURES l and 2) of the inven.

tion, Vlower panel 58Y of sheet holder 24' will also have an'opening in which is mounted a nipple (notshown).

f This is connected bymeans of a exible air hose llrto a pump (not shown) which when operated draws air from within the frame 52 comprising the sheet holder 24 to draw airk from beneath sheet 64. As in the iirst embodi- Y ment, sheet 64 has a width suiiicient that it will overlie not only the width of the panel 62 but also the line of Y holes 56 in the margins of thepanel 54' along either side K others.

revacuating means the sheet material Z5 positioned on panel 62 is iirmly held and in close conformity with the supporting surface area thereof. n

Having now described preferred Vforms of my invention, I wish it understood that I do not intend to be limited thereto, except insofar as the following claim is Yso limited, since modifications or changes of my disclosure will, in the light of my disclosure, be readily suggested to I claim: r Sheet holding apparatus comprising a frame having a rigid, flat, rectangular-shaped supporting panel on one side thereof including a centrally-disposed, uninterrupted, smooth, rigid surface area adapted to receive sheet material to be held byV` the apparatus, and air passage means in the marginsof said panelvarranged in aline about said central surface area, a frameless, imperforate, 'rollable sheet of clear, transparent ilexi'ole plasticV having one edge secured to said frame along one margin of the ilat Vfrom the central area, said transparent sheet being rollable in a direction away from its secured edge and of a width and length such that it is capable Yof being rolled Vbeyond the air passagemeans in the opposite margin of,

the panel and to coverall the central area and air passage means in the surrounding marginsjof the panel, said roll of transparent sheet being pressed firmly and uniformly against the'panel across the central area and the surface about the air passage means as it is rolled across the panel, and air evacuating means associated with the air 'Y passage means from the opposite side of the panel to ,evacuate air from between said overlying sheet and across l the central area of the panel to draw and tightly conform References Cited in the e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Banks Feb. 22, 1916 Breslauer Ian. 10, 1928 5 Messter Sept. 15, 1931 Van der Grinten Nov. 26, 1935 Van der Grinten Dec. 31, 1935 Potteiger Mar. 11, 1952 Robbins Sept. 22, 1953 Crowel Ian. 4, 1955 Weishaupt May 27, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS France Feb. 13, 1952 Belgium Dec. 15, 1954 

